Mining-machine.



C. A. PRATT.

' MINING MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED ocT. 3|. m0.

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Qv a, #w Eh tokuE C. A. PRATT.

MINING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. I9").

Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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l l'tlil CHARLES A. PRATT, F CHICAGQ, ILLINDIEL AEEIGINOR, T0 *I EiE GUUIlIlllttf-lll' ltlitldlll'lfidfi 'llllll'ltllil lli'r COMPANY, OLE ULl-IICAGU, ILLINOIS,

A CURPUHJATION ILLINOIS.

MINING-MAGHIN 1E.

specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Uctober 31, 1911.0. Eerial No. 589,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, CHARLES A. PRATT, a citizen of the United Estates, residing at "Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in .l d'ininglllachiues, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mining niacl'iines, and has for its object to provide a new and improved device of this description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the position of the parts as the machine approaches the wall of the mine;

l ig. 4t is a plan view showing the position. of the parts at the end of the cut.

.lllike numerals refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

Referring now to Fig. 1., there is illustrated a mining machine having a frame 1, with a cutter projectingtherefrom, the cutter in this instance consisting of the cutter chain 2 moving; about the cutter arm 3, the cutter chain being provided with a series of cutters l which act upon the material to be out.

In the use of the machine the cutter projects into the coal, or other material, as shown in Fig. 1, and the entire machine is then moved laterally to form the cut. This lateral movement is produced by a flexible power transmitting device 5, which is connected with a rotating part 6 mounted on the frame of the machine, and adapted to be rotated by a motor 1 011 the machine, preferably the same motor that actuates the cutter chain. The part 6, as hercin'shown, consists of a drum about which the flexible power transmitting device is wound. This drum is operatively connected with the motor in any desired manner, as for example, by the gears 2, worm 3 controlling clutch 5 and gears 6. This flexible power transmittin device is connected. with a fixed part 7, located at a suitable point, and preferably passes about a wheel 8 connected with the frame of the machine. In view of the fact that the resistance to the lateral feeding movement of the machine is due to the cutters, which project from the frame, and which must cut away the coal before lateral movement oi the ,frout end of the machine can take place, it will be seen that there will be a tendency for the tramc and of the machine to feed forward too rapidly, and some means must be provided for preventing this and retarding the movement of the rear end of the inachiluv. its herein shown, in order to prevent the too rapid movement of the rear end of the .inachine. ll provide an adjustable arm 9, extending from the rear end of the machine. its shown in 1, this arm 9 is movably connected to the frame,- as by being "piv'OiJGtl to the part 10 upon which the drum 6 is mounted. This arm is preferably adjustable in length, which adjustment may be secured by pro viding a sleeve having; a controlling handwheel, or the lilve, 19, the sleeve lusinp; providcd with right and left-hand threads which engage right and left-halal threads on the sections 13 of the arm. The arm 5) is removably connected in position so as to hold in place an engaging part l-ladapted to movably contact with the flexible power transmitting device 5, and in the coinrue tion shown in Fig. 1, said arm 9 is removably connected with the brace 17 which acts as a resisting part to resist. movement of said arm and of the rear end of the machine which tends to move faster than the cutter arm due to the resistance to the lateral movement of the front end of the machine produced by the engagement of the cutters with the coal. The part 1 may be of any desired construction, and, as herein shown, has two engaging faces 15, 16 (see Fig. between which the flexible power transmitting device passes. The face 16 is preferably the face of a pulley, so as to reduce the friction as the pressure comes upon this face. The part 1-11. is connected with the frame of the machine in any desired manner, as by means of the brace 17. As illustrated in 1., this brace is removably connected with the frame otthe machine by being connected with the shaft 18 upon which the wheel 53 is mounted, being held in place by the removable key 19. "W hen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the drum (5 is rotated, the machine will be fed laterally. The arm 9 is adjusted to secure the proper position of the rear end of the machine, and, by its Patented Dec. ill, i917.

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contact with the flexible power transmitting device 5, prevents the rear end of the machine from being fed forward too rapidly. The part 1% moves along the flexible power transmitting device 5 as the machine is fed laterally "until the machine approaches the Wall (see Figs. 3 and 4). When the part 14 reaches the wall, so that further movement of the machine is prevented, the arm 9 is detached, and the part 1% and brace 17 are removed or moved to a position where they will be out of the way. The arm 9 is then brought into engagement with the wall 20, said arm being preferably provided with a point for this purpose. The machine is then fed laterally again, the arm being gradually shortened as required by rotating the sleeve 11. When the arm 9 can no longer be shortened, it is then moved to various angular positions, as shown in Fig. 4, and the front end of the machine then moves around as shown in Fig. 4:. lVhen the end of the cutter reaches the line of the wall 20 the entire machine is then moved back so as to cut away the wedge-shaped portion 21.

I claim 1. A mining machine comprising a frame, a cutter projecting therefrom, a flexible power transmitting device adapted to be connected with a fixed part at a distance from the frame, a rotatable part on the frame, with which said flexible power transmitting device is connected, an arm connected with said frame, a brace connected with said frame and extending along said flexible power transmitting device, said arm and brace connected together at an angle to each other, means for movably contacting said arm and brace with said flexible power transmitting device, a direction changing device which engages said flexible power transmitting device, the portions of said flexible power transmitting device on opposite sides of said direction changing device forming two sides of a triangle, said arm forming the other side of said triangle.

2. A mining machine comprising a frame, a cutter projecting therefrom, a flexible power transmitting device for moving said frame and cutter laterally to feed the machine along the coal, a retarding device for retarding the movement of the rear end of the machine, comprising an arm connected with said machine, and a brace connected with said frame and arm and substantially parallel with a portion of said flexible power transmitting device, said brace and arm movably contacting with said flexible power transmitting device, said arm bein adjustable so that its length may be varied.

mining machine comprising a frame, a cutter projecting therefrom, means for moving said machine laterally while in operation so as to feed the cutter toward the material to be acted upon, and an adjustable arm pivo'tally connected with the rear end of the machine. a resisting part, said adjustable arm interposed between said frame and said resisting part, whereby ti 3 adjustable arm holds said. resisting part against movement by the power irailsmitting device, the end of said arm nearest said resisting part being removnbly connected in position and being provided with an engaging part adapted to be brought into engagement with the wall when the end of said arm is disconnected and the machine approaches the end of the cut.

l. A mining machine comprising a frame, a cutter projecting therefrom, a llexible power transmitting device adapted to be connected with a fixed part at a distance from the frame, a rotatable part on the frame, with which said flexible power transmitting device is connected, a brace connected with said frame, a contacting device on each end of said brace which engages said flexible power transmitting device. and an arm connected with said brace and pivotally connected with said frame, said arm removably connected with said brace at one end so that it can be removed therefrom and moved about its pivotal connection to be 9 l I). it

brought into engagement with a fixed part as the machine approaches the end of its cut.

Ir mining machine comprising a frame, a cutter projecting therefrom, a flexible power transmitting device connected with a rotating part on the frame and with a fixed part at a distance therefrom, said. flexible. power transmitting device forming two sides of a triangle, a contacting part adapted to contact with said pmver transmitting device, a removable brace connecting the contacting part and said frame, a longitudinally adjustable arm connected with the rear end of said frame and interposed belween said contacting part and said frame so as to resist the movement of said engaging part, said longitudinally adjustable arm forming the third side of said triangle.

CHARLES A. PIUJIT.

lVitnesses EDNA K. REYNOLDS, MINNIE M. LINDENAU.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

